Kashmir ŚaivismKashmiri Shaivismalso called PratyabhijñāPratyabhijna (Sanskrit: “Recognition”), an important religio-philosophical system of India that worships the god Shiva as Lord Śiva and as the supreme reality. The school is idealistic and monistic, as contrasted with the realistic and dualistic school of ŚaivaShaiva-siddhāntasiddhanta.

The principal texts of the school are the ŚivaShiva-sūtrasutra, said to have been revealed to Vasugupta; Vasugupta’s Spanda-kārikākarika(“Verses on Activity”; ), 8th–9th century); Utpala’s PratyabhijñāPratyabhijna-śāstrashastra(c. 900; “Manual on Recognition”), c. 900; Abhinavagupta’s ParamārthasāraParamarthasara(“The Essence of the Highest Truth”), PratyabhijñāPratyabhijna-vimarśinivimarshini(“Reflections on Recognition”), and TantrālokaTantraloka(“Lights on the Doctrine”), 10th century; and Kṣemarāja’s ŚivaKshemaraja’s Shiva-sūtrasutra-vimarśinivimarshini(“Reflections on the Aphorisms on Śiva”Shiva”).

Śiva Shiva is seen as the sole reality and both the material and efficent efficient causes of the universe. His power is known in five aspects: citchit(“consciousness”), ānandaananda(“bliss”), ichāicha(“desire”), jñānajnana(“knowledge”), and kriyākriya(“action”). For the adherents of Kashmir ŚaivismKashmiri Shaivism, liberation comes about through intense meditation on the Lord and recognition of the identical nature of the individual soul and the Lord.(Compare Śaivism.)